Not referencing any Biblical verses, why would someone like me need to be saved? I don't murder, cheat, steal, smoke, hate, cuss, commit adultery, or covet. I'm obedient, polite, respectful, helpful, loving, serving, and I even give a buck to the hobo down the street once in a while. I'm happy with my friends, family, and position in life. Sure, I'd like to be rich and not have to worry about a job or money for the rest of my life, but I believe that when a door closes on one opportunity, a window opens somewhere else. I know I'm lucky to have grown up with both my mom and my dad, to have received thousands of dollars worth of stuff over the years, and to have enough resources to live an above-average lifestyle while making $0 a year.
Sure being a Christian has its benefits. There is love, joy, and peace in a Christian household. There is patience, kindness, and goodness in a fellowship of believers. There is faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control grounded in a belief that God will, essentially, provide the next meal. But how is that different from a Jewish household or a Muslim household? What difference is there between believing in Jesus (and that he was raised to life) and just believing in his teaching as a good prophet?
Basically, what have I done since birth that I should feel some sort of remorse for? Yes, I've fibbed here and there, and gossiped during that seventh grade slumber party, but I've reconciled all of that with the people whom it hurt. What evidence is there (not referencing the Bible) that I need to "make right" with God? What evidence is there that God was hurt? What evidence is there that I, personally (not mankind), need to be saved? And saved from what?
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Hmm..i had a similar discussion in high school where a friend asked, why would i, a person who doesn't [insert so called bad sins], go to hell when someone whose murdered and raped go to heaven when they repent? but what i've concluded, which i couldn't come up with then, is that the difference between heaven and hell isn't the good outweighing the bad; it's any separation from God. that means, if you've sinned in any way (big or small), you can't be "perfect as [God] is perfect." that is to say, heaven isn't a place full of good people; it's a place full of perfect people. and the only way to achieve perfection after you've lost it (which obviously isn't hard) is through jesus. the bible seems to say that God's view of salvation is very binary: either you are white as snow or not. and unfortunately, black and slightly creamy white are still in the same boat.
so exams have delayed me from responding but now here I am and I see I definitely couldn't have said it any better than Kenaz. I especially like Kenaz's distinction of black and slightly creamy white.
I have a flatmate who states "I don't care if I go to hell, I'm sure it wont be that bad and if so, then at least I'll have earned it". I believe he says this because he desires to continue living as he lives.
Kirsten, your entry has given me some insight! Previously I just saw that he was/is comparing 'living in sin' now vs. living in heaven later.... as if both were just as satisfying. And I didn't have any proof, any ability to explain, that living in sin likely isn't even 1 billionth as satisfying as living in heaven later. Considering I've yet to go to heaven... haha... and nor did I have the ability to explain how terrible hell must be.
The only thing he knows is that we'll spend all our time in heaven worshiping God. And this is true - we will! But he sees that as a chore.. he sees it as no fun and punishment really... because he loves himself more than he loves God. He wants heaven to be someone worshiping him 24/7, not the other way around...and so therefore heaven is not appealing to him.
I think that often the statement "I am good enough.. therefore I should make it into heaven" reflects our desire to gratify ourselves (as equivalent to my flatmates dilemma) It's about us and not Christ. So, another reason why goodness doesn't attain heaven is because, to some extent, it's quite self-centered of us to demand heaven just because we feel we are good enough.
Therefore... what do we need to be saved from? We need to be saved from our own selfs - which often narrow-mindedly believe we would be happiest praising ourselves. When instead (read quote from book):
What is eternal life? -- It is to know God and his Son. No thing can satisfy the soul. The soul was made to stand in awe of a Person – the only person worthy of awe. How much more will we be satisfied by the one Person who conceived all excellence and embodies all skill, all talent, all strength and brilliance and savvy and goodness?
- John Piper in "Don't Waste Your Life"
ai ya, ps. I am not calling you narrow-minded or self-centered! I am however labeling all of the human race to both of these at least to some degree...
also, I may not have tied my example how I wanted to. What I was trying to say is that my flatmate wants to have satisfaction now vs. satisfaction later because the perceived satisfaction of later is not sufficient. (Just like investing.. we save now to have a higher return later.)
However, I am declaring that the way he looks at this is wrong. Because it isn't about OUR satisfaction later. Just as needing to be saved isn't about attaning heaven. Needing to be saved is about reconciling ourselves to our creator. Whom we are separate from whether our souls are black or creamy white. The creator who created us in His image. In doing so, we all receive the highest satisfaction.
Why do you need to be reconciled to your creator? Because only through this are you made whole. This is because He created us in His image and therefore why he gave us free choice.. because only through our reconciliation is HE made whole as well. We are part of Him.
ummmm somehow I feel I might be edging on the side of blasphemy. I dont mean to intend God NEEDS us. He doesn't. But He would prefer to have us... so in that case, He sort of does.
"The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis is a fairly good allegory / illustration on this particular question.
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